Dollar General targets early spring for Andover reopening, keeps staff working

It will be several months before a Dollar General store in Andover can reopen after it was damaged by a fire Nov. 21, but the company says the store’s staff will stay on the payroll.

Company spokesperson Crystal Ghassemi says Dollar General has redistributed the Andover workers to the nearby stores that made sense for them. They’ll be able to keep jobs at those other stores until the Andover site reopens, likely in early spring.

The company didn’t want to leave any of its employees without work, especially during the holidays, she says. The other stores will benefit from some extra help during the busier season, too, she says.

“It works out for everybody,” she says.

Each store has six to 10 workers.

KAKE News reports the fire caused an estimated $500,000 in damage. It is being investigated as aggravated arson.

The store, at 725 N. Andover Road, had only just celebrated its grand opening in August. It replaced an older store that was about a block to the south.